CUBA: Post Castro needs a democracy, not a theocracy

Although Cuban Jaime Cardinal Ortega might seem "charming" and "amiable" to some, he is a staunch supporter of the Castro regime and viewed as untrustworthy by Cubans everywhere. Last year, the cardinal showed his true colors by orchestrating the banishment from Cuba of dozens of prominent dissidents, and by lobbying on behalf of "Castrolandia" in Brussels and Washington, D.C.

Moreover, when 165 opposition activists in Cuba justly complained about the cardinal's behavior to Pope Benedict XVI, Ortega condemned them all. He also posted a pastoral letter on his diocesan website declaring that anyone who dared to challenge the status quo should have no part in determining the future of Cuba.

Ironically, these dissidents never mentioned by Pinsky are the only leaders who offer Cubans any real hope of change. Oscar Elias Biscet, Martha Beatriz Roque, Guillermo Fariñas, Oswaldo Payá and countless others refuse to settle for anything less than what Americans and Europeans would find acceptable.

For more Roundup: The people should decide Cuba's future - USATODAY.com